Wire-line clamp



Oct. 9, 1928.

1,686,547 T. w. BELL El AL WIRE LINE CLAMP Fi ed March 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l-m un llurmu .sli

Zlwwntou Oct. 9, 1928. A

' 1,686,547 T. w. BELL Er AL WIRE LINE CLAMP Filed March 24, 1927 2 Sheots-Sheet 2 7/?0/v45/4/ 5:2 .4 Tea/v4.5 6: fogi/Pa mum gwawfl M Patented Oct. 9, 1928. I

oars tenor/ms w. BELL Ann THOMAS 0. scenes, on reniinaszenne, wnsr v'ireIrI rA.

inn-ZINE CLAMP.

Application filed March 24, 1927. Serial No; 178,097.

This present invention relates to a clamp for-gripping well cables such as is used in the drilling of oil wells, and is an improvement on the clamp shown in our prior Patent No. 1,3083%.

The principal objects of the invention are the provision of a clamp of the type described which, will-have. a guide thereon to facilitate bringing the drilling cable between the grips; which will have means for keeping the cable centered when the clamp is being tightened; which maybe attached by one man; which will have means to prevent.

oscillation during drilling; and which will be capable of receiving a plurality of d1fferent sized cables at the same time. These and other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds. Iii-"the drawings there is illustrated one form'of the invention in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a bodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof.

device em- Fig, 3 is a perspective detail of a jaw assembly.

Fig. 4. is a side elevation. v 'Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the transverse link.

In the drawings, the clamp is shown to consist of a pair of jaws 1, having backwardly extending ears 2 adapted to receive a pin, so that the jawsare held togther in a pivotal manner. The upper part of each jaw lterminates in a hook shaped part3 adapted to receive the rings or links 1 carried by the temper screw (not shown) in the usual manner well known in this art.

Along one longitudinal edge of each clamp jaw is seated a grip slip 5 having a substantially concave face to receive the cable to be gripped. These slips aredovetalled in place longitudinally by the overhanging portions 6 of the jaws 1, and laterally at the back by the edge of part 17 and at theifront by slip retainers comprising right angular members 7 having a horizontal portion adapted to rest on an arm 8 of jaw 1, and a vertical portion" 9, grooved longitudinally to receive a second cable. 7

Each aw 1 is provided with an arm 8 extending toward the front of the clamp. Beneath one of these arms is a handle 10 to aid the driller in closing the device. The other arm carries. a clevis 11 having an elongated slot 12 therein, a pin 18 riding in this device is closed.

slot securing the clevis to the arm. The un attached end of theclevisll is adapted to straddle the handle' carrying arm 'whenthe The attached end .of the clevis 11 is threaded to receive a'fthreaded barla, the end'of which is drilled to take a handle member '15. I

may be welded around the drilled hole in the This last named part bar l fso as to form a permanent T screw. The threaded end of the bar 14; abuts. the end of the arm. 5

In order to get the desired leverage on the I clamp j aws without putting a strain on the pivot pins carried by the ears '2, there is pro-- vided a transverse link 16 adapted to slip over rear extensions 17 of the jaws ,1." Pine 18 hold the link- 16 in position. V

lt'will now be seen that by taking up on the f screw, the arms are made to approach each other in front, and the link 16 and eX- tensions 17 receive mostof the strain." As a tained between either the grip'slips 5 or the slip retainers 7 will be securely. held thereby.

Tn placingthe clamp it is very desirable that the driller be assisted in properly centering the' cablein'the grips, andthis is done by providing a curved thumb '"19 on the right hand jaw 1 slightly in front of the grip slip of that jaw. Such'thumb guides the'cable into proper engagement with the result'of this tightening up, thecable conslip. Where desired a "second thumb 19 I may be located at the bottom-of thejaw 1.

In operation on a drilling well, the clamp is hung on the temper screw (not shown) by' the links t, and ,as the clamps are heavier in front they pitch backward atthe bottom hanging open before attaching the drilling cable. When attaching the clamp to the drilling cable, the driller stands in front of the clampand reaching around the drilling line 20, grasps the clevis 16 with his right hand and the handle '10 with hi'left,

and pulls the whole clamp forward until it surroundst-he drilling line, then closes the arms of the clamp and holds them closed by swinging the clevis 11 over the end or the left arm. During this movement the thumb 19 has come in front'ofthe 'cable20 and guided it into the slips 5. By pulling-forward and lifting on the handle 10, the grip slips are made to parallel the cable and the latter seats in the grooves therein. By

tightening the T screw, the cable is secured.

This guiding the cable into the grip slips is an'importan-t part of this invention, as

V to receive a second cable.

frequently cable lines are cut when the clamp is tightened because the cable was not gu1ded and centered in the slips.

It is common practice with drillers to loosen the clamps slightly and allow the cable to slip in order to drill a further depth. This sometimes results in cutting the cable if it is not. perfectly centered in the grooves of the grip slips. The thumb 19. prevents tion, a rod or other convenient means, termed a jockey stick is fastened at one end to the clamp so that that end can reciprocate with the, tools, the other end bein hinged usually to a stationary upright post termed a headache post. Frequently the jockey stick comes loose from'the clamp, no provision being made to adequately secure this stick to the clamp. This inefliciency has been overcome by providing at the rear of.

the link 16, two spaced apart perforated ears 21 adapted to receive one end of the jockey stick 22 which may be made fast by a pin 28. The other end'may be hinged to the headache post in the usual manner as is well known.

Another important advantage occurring as a result of this novel construction, lies in the fact that the slip retainers 7 are grooved It is frequently necessary when drilling tools become stuck,

.to run other tools on another line, generally on what is known as a sand line, to loosen and recover the drilling tools. This has usually been done by tying the sand line to the clamp in some way; with unsatisfactory results. With the presentconstruction, the grooved slip retainers may be advantageously used to grip the sand line 24; without removing the drilling cable from the clamp.

It will be notedthat the links t are profvided with a central rib and that the pair of eyes thu formed have their side walls at such an angular inclination that by no possibility can these links kink or beeome'otherwise permanently twisted as the strain on tures.

the drilling cable is alternately released or increased. This angular inclination together with the central strengthening rib constitutes an important featureofthe invention and are more to be desired than the said groove between the jaws, and means to secure the jaws on the cable, saidmeans comprising a curved. thumb carried by one jaw and extending in front of the cable r'eceiv-' ing groove.

2. A cable clamp comprising cooperating jaws, a cable grip slip held in each jaw, a grooved slip retainer, in proximity to' each slip and holding the same in place, and means to close the jaws simultaneously upon cables located between slips and slip re tainers. i

A cable clamp comprising cooperating jaws, a cable grip carried by each jaw, aforwardly extending arm on each jaw, a handle on one arm, and a sliding cle'vis on the other arm adapted to straddle the first mentioned arm, and a tightening device for bringing the two arms together to grip a cable held between the jaws. I

e. A cable clamp comprising cooperating jaws, said jaws having rear extensions, a transverse link straddling said extensions, arms on thefront of said jaws, means to secure said arms together and means carried by said transverse link to receive a jockey stick to prevent undue oscillation.

5,1 1 cable clamp comprising cooperating jaws, said jaws having rear extensions, a transverse link straddling said extensions, arms on the front of'said jaws, means to secure said arms together and means carried by said transverse link to receive a jockey stick to prevent undue oscillation, compris- 7 ing spaced apart perforatedears.

6. Acable clamp comprising cooperating aws, each aw having a cable receiving grip slip therein, each slip terminating short ofthe top of the jaw, that portion of the meetm faces of each jaw being within the plane of the meeting faces of its slip, and a curved thumb on one'jaw above its slip projecting in front-of the cable receiving groove. In testimony whereof, we afiixour THOMAS w. BELL. THOMAS 0. ROG RS.

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